Britains bone-chilling Arctic blast is set to deepen this week with more snow and ice predicted to ravage parts of the nation.
Sub-zero temperatures left huge areas of the UK a snow-covered landscape, with Brits waking up to freezing temperatures on Wednesday that sparked warnings for commuters.
The Met Office put in place a yellow warning for ice for much of southern England, the Midlands and eastern Wales from 5pm yesterday to 10am today.
However, in a fresh update, forecasters have warned more snow and ice is on the way, with the big chill set to stretch into the weekend.
The news comes as forecasters revealed a new set of maps showing which areas would be hit the worst, with the Met Office advising vehicles could be stranded, power cuts may occur and rural areas could be cut off.
A yellow weather warning for frequent snow showers and possible hail is in place in many parts of north and west Scotland, until Thursday.
Between 2cm and 5cm (up to 2in) of snow is expected widely and it could reach 10cm in some parts of the north-west mainland, with higher ground seeing 15cm to 20cm (up to 7.8in), the Met Office said.
A yellow warning for ice with a few sleet or snow showers has been posted from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday morning in most of Scotland, the East and West Midlands, the east, north-east and north-west of England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Yorkshire.
NORTH YORK Britain is set to be hit by a fresh wave of bone-chilling conditions after snow arrived this week (pictured is a woman braving conditions in Goathland on Wednesday)
NORTH YORK: Icy conditions left the village of Goathland caked in snow on Wednesday
NORTH YORK: This sheep pictured in the North York Moors National Park struggles through the snow on Wednesday
Parts of south-west England have also received a new yellow warning for snow between 5am and 3pm on Thursday, with 5cm to 10cm predicted in higher parts of Dartmoor.
Heavy snow is expected on Saturday followed by a rapid thaw and rain on Saturday night in north-east and north-west England, the West Midlands, Yorkshire, and much of Scotland.
The Met Office issued a yellow warning for the weather event and said there is a chance floodwater could cause danger to life, some rural communities could become cut off, and there may be travel disruption.
New yellow warnings for rain have also been published from Saturday to Sunday morning in south-west England and Wales.
Met Office spokesperson Andrea Bishop said: A deep area of low pressure is expected to bring a spell of prolonged and, at times, heavy rainfall across a large part of the UK this weekend.
Across south-west England, rain is expected to develop during Saturday morning with heavier rain likely later in the day and overnight into early Sunday morning.
Fifty to 75mm of rain is expected to fall fairly widely during this time with a chance that some places over Dartmoor could see 100-125mm. Strong southerly winds will accompany the heavy rain and may locally exacerbate impacts.
A Met Office spokesperson added on Wednesday morning: Rain, snow and ice continue to be potential hazards through this week as an Arctic air mass continues to influence the UKs weather, bringing potential ongoing disruption for some.
Conditions on Thursday are set to be icy, with north of Scotland and north west of England facing yellow weather warnings
Yellow weather warnings for rain and snow have also been issued for Saturday
The inclement conditions will continue into Sunday affected large parts of the UK
It will be feeling very cold for most, with daytime temperatures in the low single figures, with a wind chill meaning it will be feeling even cooler.
The lowest temperature recorded on Tuesday night was minus 7.5C in Warcop, Cumbria, and the average low for the whole nation is 4C at this time of year.
Altnaharra, Sutherland, saw 14cm of snow, 8cm was recorded at Loch Glascarnoch in the Scottish Highlands, and 6cm in Thorncliffe, Staffordshire.
More than 100 schools or nurseries were closed in Scotland on Wednesday because of the weather, with 52 shut in the Highland Council area, 51 in Aberdeenshire, 11 in Moray and two in Shetland.
A sharp rise in vehicle breakdowns has also been reported as drivers batteries failed on Wednesday morning due to cold weather, the RAC said.
The snow caused major disruption for commuters on Wednesday morning.
Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said: Weve had a fairly mild November so far, so itll feel like that first taste of winter for many with that snow and ice risk layered on top.
KIRKLINGTON: The sun rises over a frozen St Swithuns Church in the village of Kirklington, Nottinghamshire this morning after temperatures plunged to -5C
WHITLEY BAY: A resident of Whitley Bay in North Tyneside was seen on Wednesday morning clearing snow from a car
NORTH TYNESIDE: People been warned of travel disruption in the first major snow of the UK winter this year - a pedestrian is pictured walking along a snow-covered street in Whitley Bay
The highest accumulations are likely over the mountains in Scotland, where over higher ground you could see around 20cm of snow through this week accumulating on the ground.
They are not necessarily the most disruptive snowfalls, but it only takes a couple of centimetres on lower ground to cause some level of travel disruption.
And the Met Office posted this morning on X, formerly Twitter: Its a cold start to Wednesday morning with widespread frost across the country.
Wintry showers continue to affect northern Scotland and coastal regions through the morning, but expect plenty of sunshine further inland.
Meteorologist Clare Nasir gave a video update on what she called this bitterly cold Wednesday morning, as she predicted more rain, sleet and snow continuing throughout the day and tonight as well as a severe frost across many areas.
The past two days have seen widespread disruption across the UK, with more than 200 school closures reported by the afternoon.
Snowfall was also widely reported, with 12cm of lying snow recorded at Watnall, Nottinghamshire, on Tuesday morning as an Arctic airmass influenced the UKs weather.
Thousands of train passengers suffered disruption yesterday morning and a Stagecoach bus in Aberdeenshire toppled onto its side with a passenger on board in icy conditions.
No trains were able to run between Nottingham and Worksop or between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog in North Wales.
And today National Rail said there were multiple incidents affecting services on the Merseyrail network, with poor weather disrupting services between Headbolt Lane and Liverpool Central - while a fallen tree blocked Scotrail trains between Inverness and Aberdeen.
NORTH YORKSHIRE: Snow-covered tracks are seen at Goathland station in North Yorkshire, as the winter weather caused travel disruption across the UK
NORTH TYNESIDE: Overnight snow was seen covering Cullercoats Bay this morning
LLANGOLLEN: An aerial photo taken by drone shows a canal boat passing over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct after snowfall in Llangollen in Denbighshire, Wales
NORTH TYNESIDE: The wintry weather was pictured today at Tynemouth Priory
NORTH TYNESIDE: Cullercoats Bay was among the areas blanketed in snowfall this morning
LLANGOLLEN: The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in Denbighshire, Wales, is pictured today, as the Met Office issued further severe weather warnings across the UK
WARWICK: Snow-covered buildings after overnight snowfall in Warwick on Tuesday
PEAK DISTRICT: A car drives through the A57 Snake Pass in the Peak District, Derbyshire on Tuesday
BRADFORD: People use a sledge on a snow-covered hill overlooking Bradford in West Yorkshire on Tuesday
Northern services across Yorkshire between Bradford and Huddersfield, Hebden Bridge to Halifax and Halifax to Hull were also impacted, while flooding near Ulverston in Cumbria caused disruption between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster.
Police in Northern Ireland urged those on the roads to drive with extra caution while we experience the freezing temperatures as forecast.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued the first amber cold weather health alert of the season, warning conditions could be dangerous for vulnerable people, including the elderly.
The amber warning covers the east and north of England, the Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber, with yellow alerts coming into place for the South East, South West and London until 6pm on Saturday.
KIRKLINGTON: Snowy landscapes were captured on camera this morning over the Nottinghamshire village of Kirklington, as the Met Office issued yellow weather warnings
LLANGOLLEN: Snow fell on the landscapes surrounding the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in Llangollen in Denbighshire, Wales
The Alzheimers Society warned that cold weather can be particularly challenging for people with dementia.
Colder temperatures can be difficult for a person with dementia to adjust to, and they may not always be able to communicate that they are cold - or they may not even recognise it themselves, the charity said.
Another charity, Asthma + Lung UK, urged those with lung conditions to be extra careful.
The charity cautioned that cold weather can trigger potentially life-threatening asthma attacks or flare-ups for people with other lung conditions.